CHICAGO, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- Gold futures on the COMEX division of the New York Mercantile Exchange fell on Friday as investors reacted to strong economic data.
The most active gold contract for April delivery fell 17.40 U.S. dollars, or 0.84 percent, to close at 2,053.70 dollars per ounce.
The U.S. Labor Department reported Friday that U.S. economy added 353,000 jobs in January, and the unemployment rate clocked in at 3.7 percent, far exceeding the gain of 185,000 jobs and a 3.8 percent unemployment rate expected by economists.
Better than expected jobs data boosted the U.S. dollar and pushed back the chance of rate cut by the Federal Reserve until May or June, dampening gold.
The Consumer Sentiment Index released Friday by the University of Michigan (UM) Surveys of Consumers rose to 79.0 in the January 2024 survey, up from 69.7 in December and above the previous January's 64.9.
The U.S. Commerce Department reported that U.S. factory orders for manufactured goods rose 0.2 percent in December, in line with the consensus of economists.
Silver for March delivery fell 44.00 cents, or 1.89 percent, to close at 22.796 dollars per ounce. Platinum for April delivery fell 20.70 dollars, or 2.24 percent, to close at 901.60 dollars per ounce.
